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How to Surf the Changing Tides of Social Media

Posted on 04/28/2014

It is a confusing time for social media. It seems like every day, new and conflicting reports come out about the future of different platforms. Is Facebook a sinking ship? Or is it simply being used by a new demographic? Is Instagram the new thing? Or should you be using Snapchat?

In addition to all of the ever-changing buzz, Facebook has recently switched up their algorithms. If you’ve been watching your business’s page, you’ve probably noticed a big decline in the number of people your posts are reaching.

So how do you navigate the tricky waters of social media marketing? These three rules will help you stay afloat:

1. No matter where you’re posting, make sure what you’re posting is worthwhile.
The changed Facebook algorithm punishes posts that simply recirculate content or ask for likes. On all platforms, think about what would be valuable to your customer and consistent with your brand. Try to create interesting and original content whenever possible.

2. Pay attention to numbers and followers.
The number of “likes” or followers you have isn’t the end all be all, but you should know who you’re reaching and how often. Analyze the success (or failure) of each post and tweak accordingly. This will also help you be more responsive to user engagement.

3. Diversify.
Rather than abandoning Facebook for Instagram or devoting all of your time to Vine, try to build community on multiple platforms in a way that makes sense for your brand. This requires you to really get to know each platform, its capabilities, and who it reaches. If you don’t put all of your eggs in the Facebook basket, your marketing won’t die if the platform suddenly goes the way of MySpace.